Exclusive Jets, operating as flyExclusive, has entered an agreement with Textron Aviation to purchase up to 30 Cessna Citation CJ3+ light twinjets, the Wichita airframer announced today. Under the agreement, charter operator flyExclusive expects to take delivery of the first five CJ3+s in 2023, with an option to purchase more of the type for deliveries through 2025.
According to Textron Aviation, the order is expected to support flyExclusive’s Jet Club, Partner, and new fractional program. The Kinston, North Carolina-based Part 135 operator is one of the largest Citation operators in the world. FlyExclusive’s fleet of 85 light, midsize, super-midsize, and large-cabin jets include Citation Xs, Sovereigns, Excel/XLSs, CJ3s, and Encores. The list price of a CJ3+ is $9.91 million without customization. A Textron Aviation spokeswoman told AIN that flyExclusive plans to customize its CJ3+s with “a number of additional features."
“This expansion launches flyExclusive into the fractional space,” said flyExclusive chairman and founder Jim Seagrave. “We are proud to continue our relationship with Textron Aviation as we bring the CJ3+ into our esteemed fleet. The addition of these new CJ3+ aircraft will allow us to expand our capabilities to support our continuing growth as one of the largest private jet charter operators in the industry.”
With NBAA’s Scheduler & Dispatchers Conference (SDC) officially launching today in California at the San Diego Convention Center, NBAA head Ed Bolen highlighted changes the industry has seen since the event was last held live in 2020.
“We’re not coming back to S&D in 2022 where we left off: we’re stronger, we’re better than we have ever been before,” Bolen stated during this morning’s opening session. “Flight hours are up, inventory of used aircraft is down, and backlogs for new aircraft are now out three or four years.”
Reflecting back over the two years since SDC 2020 was halted midstream due to a national wave of Covid-induced event cancellations, Bolen’s focus was not on what was lost by the flight scheduling community, but on what it gained as it rose to meet the challenge of increasing activity at a time when private flight became an even more vital transportation mode. “We gained a sense of purpose…because a lot of times it's only when there is intense pressure that you find out what’s really at the core.”
He also noted the increasing recognition of sustainability. “Over the last two years, we’ve seen that sustainable aviation fuel has gone from being something that few people in our industry might have heard of to being something that was celebrated in a big sustainable fuel day at the White House.”
General aviation association leaders expressed optimism about the industry finding a drop-in unleaded aviation fuel to replace 100LL during a session this morning at the Sun ‘n Fun Aerospace Expo. Panel moderator John “Lites” Leenhouts, the outgoing president and CEO of Sun ’n Fun Fly-In Inc., said the lead issue is currently the greatest threat to general aviation, especially in light of an expected “endangerment finding” later this year by the EPA that could set a hard 2030 deadline to phase out 100LL.
GAMA president and CEO Pete Bunce explained that the Eagle initiative launched earlier this year aims to bring together government and industry to research and test such a replacement, develop an approval process, and establish a distribution path for an ASTM-approved drop-in replacement by the end of this decade. “The timelines are a compromise between what is achievable and preserving 100LL until a true replacement can be found,” he said.
According to EAA president and CEO Jack Pelton, there is no appetite in Congress to save 100LL in the long-term, saying, “We will have a [EPA] deadline to remove lead, likely 2030.” Still, AOPA president and CEO Marc Baker noted that 100LL’s days are likely numbered even without an EPA endangerment finding. “There’s only one plant worldwide that makes tetraethyl lead, and I don’t see it continuing to make this product beyond 2030,” he concluded.
The Air Charter Safety Foundation (ACSF) is continuing to expand its reach into new programs and initiatives to raise the bar on safety for small and large operators alike. Speaking during the ACSF Safety Symposium in Daytona Beach, Florida, yesterday, chairman Robert Rufli, who is v-p of flight operations and director of operations for Pentastar Aviation, expressed a need for ACSF to have a broader outreach, noting that there are about 2,000 Part 135 operators that must prepare for mandates such as safety management systems. “We need to help them understand how to do it and how to do it right.”
The next direction for ACSF, Rufli said, is flight data monitoring (FDM). “We see that as the next big thing in the industry that could really make an impact,” he said. ACSF president Bryan Burns stated the organization began beta testing an FDM program this year with three operators.
In addition, ACSF is starting to work with academia to build data on which to develop state of the industry reports. “You don’t fix anything unless you measure it,” Rufli said.
Along with that, ACSF and NATA hosted a Business Aviation Safety Roundtable in February to take a deep dive into issues that need to be addressed. Rufli said the organizations now plan to discuss those issues further at regional roundtables.
Enhancing Performance Now; Increasing Value in the Future
With a customer fleet comprised of over 3,600 aircraft and 7,200 engines, Rolls-Royce Business Aviation has developed a portfolio of services that ensure its customers get the most availability from their aircraft now and top dollar at resale time.
West Star Aviation is introducing a revamped mobile phone app with a new level of functionality that is aimed at improving communication with its maintenance customers. Key among the new features of the app is streamlined access to AOG services via email and phone as well as a work authorization form that users can complete from their mobile phones.
Other new functions on the app include access to West Star’s Connect database and its ServiceEdge online customer portal, which provides in-depth information on aircraft work in process.
With the new app, users can also enable push notifications for expert tips and promotional content in addition to updated job postings throughout the company. Existing users of the West Star app will receive an automatic update to the revamped app. For new users, the app is available on the Apple App Store while the Android version is expected to be available on the Google Play store later this month.
“We redesigned our new mobile app to be a true communication tool that is meant to be useful to our customers, no matter where they operate,” said West Star marketing v-p Debi Cunningham. “Putting truly useful tools in the app is yet another tangible way that we are taking our focus on communication and customer service to the next level.”
Nomad Technics recently completed its first 120-month inspection on a Bombardier Global 5000, which will expand the Basel, Switzerland-based MRO provider’s business opportunities.
The inspection included a thorough examination of the Global’s airframe. After removing the cabin interior, Nomad technicians found a “significant amount” of corrosion that had to be repaired, the company reported. Several service bulletins were also completed on the aircraft, as was a complete refurbishment of the cabin. The refurbishment included new carpet, seat reupholstery, and soft material replacement. Additionally, some exterior paint repairs were made.
“The successful completion of this first 120-month inspection is a significant milestone for Nomad Technics and will enable us to enhance our capabilities to provide this type of maintenance service on a variety of other aircraft types,” said Nomad Technics director of maintenance Christophe Haeffelin.
Based at International EuroAirport in Basel, Nomad Technics operates from a 5,100-sq-m (54,895-sq-ft) hangar with 6,800 sq m (73,194 sq ft) of ramp space. The MRO is the maintenance division of Zurich-based Nomad Aviation, a charter operator and aircraft management provider.
Volare Aviation added a dedicated helicopter maintenance, management, and refurbishment facility at London Oxford Airport. Located in Hangar 14, Bay 2, the 16,000-sq-ft facility can accommodate work on up to 12 twin helicopters simultaneously. Volare can provide a variety of services for helicopters including Leonardo, Airbus, and Sikorsky models, it said.
"Opening this new helicopter facility enables us to deliver one of the most comprehensive services on the market to helicopter owners,” said Volare Aviation founder and chairman Dustin Dryden. “From this fully accredited facility, with international approvals including EASA, UK, and U.S. FAA, we have the ability to purchase, refurbish, manage, and maintain owners’ helicopters all under one roof—from one location.”
The expansion will help Volare keep up with the growing demand at London Oxford, Dryden added, noting that the airport added seven helipads last year as part of its ongoing strategic plan. “These have facilitated safer interaction with fixed-wing operations at the airport where interlining between jets and helicopters often takes place, in particular, to undertake 22-minute shuttle runs to and from The London Heliport, co-owned and operated with London Oxford Airport,” said James Dillion-Godfray, head of business development at Oxford Airport.
Central American Aviation Services (CAAS) has completed the first Bell 212 upgrade for the Guatemalan Air Force with the Archangel Systems AHR150A air data attitude/heading reference system (ADAHRS) functioning as the primary source of inertial and air data. “By pairing our ADAHRS with the Astronautics Badger Pro+ IFD System, CAAS has delivered a cost-effective and rugged upgrade that will serve the customer well for many years," said Bill Dillard, Archangel's director of sales and marketing.
The Archangel system features all required qualifications for IFR installations in Part 23, 25, 27, and 29 aircraft. Data outputs are compliant with Arinc 429 standards, providing instant compatibility with most displays, radar, and digital autopilots, and can be configured to accommodate installation particulars such as maximum allowable airspeed, mounting location, altitude/airspeed corrections, angle of attack sensors, and temperature probes.
CAAS is an approved maintenance facility located at the La Aurora International Airport in Guatemala City, Guatemala. It provides a variety of maintenance services for helicopters, including Bell light, intermediate, and medium models; MD Helicopters 500 series; and the Airbus H125/AS350.
VistaJet Takes Delivery of Bombardier's 100th Global 7500
On March 29th, Bombardier celebrated the 100th Global 7500 delivery with its largest customer, VistaJet, which has taken 10 of the aircraft manufacturer’s flagship business jets so far. The delivery ceremony took place at Bombardier's Montreal Laurent Beaudoin Completion Centre. Among an audience of Bombardier employees and special guests, French-Canadian singer-songwriter Gabriella Laberge kicked off the party, before Bombardier v-p of communications Eve Laurier hosted a fireside chat with VistaJet founder and chairman Thomas Flohr and Bombardier president and CEO Eric Martel..
Requires modifying the inward vent valves and prohibits installing unmodified inward vent valves. Prompted by inward vent valves installed during production without chromate conversion coating on the bonding surface.
Supersedes but retains requirements of AD 2020-23-07, which mandated removing certain life raft reservoirs from service, inspecting the reservoirs and actuator cables, and, depending on the inspection results, replacing the reservoir or adjusting the actuator cable. Updated AD requires expanding the required actions to include additional serial-numbered reservoirs and updates applicable service information. Prompted by the inadvertent activation and deployment of an emergency life raft while the helicopter was in flight.
Requires determining the damage value and service life limit of each affected main gearbox right-hand rear fitting, replacing each affected rear fitting with a new part, and replacing the rear fitting attachment screws. Prompted by an analysis confirming that the service life limit for these affected rear fittings needs to be reduced for helicopters on which these affected parts were operated concurrently with metallic main rotor blades installed.
Requires inspecting each spar cap and, depending on the inspection results, removing the spar cap from service. Prompted by reports of cracked spar caps.
Requires re-identifying a certain part-numbered engine-to-main gearbox coupling shaft and creating a log card or equivalent record. Prompted by the determination of these parts needing a life limit and re-identification.
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